Character/Creature information

[Demeter]

The following lists all the different character/creature types and the guidelines that go with that type of character. Just scroll down until you find the one you are interested in. There is, as of yet, no guidelines for the magic users.

[Demeter]

Wolven

Territory:

Packs of True (or natural) Wolven are few and far between and are only found in North America. Specifically the Northern US and in Canada.

Pack sizes are typically small with normally 8-10 members. Occaisionally packs will merge, creating a bigger territory and strength in numbers. When this happens, depending on how many packs merge, numbers of members can climb up to 20 members or more.

Pack size typically does not determine territory size. most Packs are mutually understanding that there is only one pack per town or city. Rarely True Packs can be found in large cities and then there can be up to three packs in once city. All outlying areas are considered neutral territory technically. More typically though, it is respected that the area closest to a Pack's home city is theirs as well.
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Moon Phases

Each phase of the moon has powers associated to it. A Wolven may enter the First change anytime but his class and powers thereof can only be decided during this time. It all mdepends on the phase of the moon currently in the sky at the time of the First Change (or for Wolven born as such, from the moment of birth)



Full Moon: Warrior, Hunter

Gibbous Moon: Sixth Sense,Visionary

Half Moon: Spirit Walker, Judge

Crescent Moon: Spirit Master, Nature Affiliate (can be animal, element, enivironmetal etc only one allowed)

New Moon: The Hidden, Stealth

N/B I have borrowed certain qualities from White Wolf's Werewolf: The Forsaken. While I am using the basic idea of it, the Wolven are not solely based on the pen and paper RPG. Throughout you will see aspects only because I feel White Wolf has captured a fair amount of what I believe makes a werewolf.
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Full Moon - Warrior

A warrior is exactly that. The Wolven are not without enemies. Werewolf Hunters have come too close on a number of occasions, to discovering the true existance of their prey. Furthermore the ghosts and Custoss that haunt the Wolven's worlds are not without their own weapons and thirst for Wolven blood. It is the warrior's job to protect his clan from such threats and act accordingly. Although all wolven hunt and will defend themselves, it is the warrior who leads the army and who plans the battle strategies.

The warrior is skilled in tracking his prey and eluding his hunters. He is quick of foot and of wit aswell as possessing an intimate knowledge of the territory that surpasses all but the Alpha's personal knowledge.

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New Moon - Stealth

Stealth is exactly that, it gives the wolven the ability to move through his or her surroundings silently. They meld into shadows more easily and are at home among them. They are ruthless killers and have no quelms about killing from behind and preffer the hidden approach to the all out frontal attack. While not possessing the strength of a warrior, they make up for it in strategy and stamina.

The Stealth wolven excel at stealth kills from behind and are at home among the shadows. They move silently and, while not the strongest of wolven, are ectremely good at strategy and stamina.

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Half Moon - Judge

The Judge is a mediator for the Pack. His ability to see through people when they lie is a valuable resource of any Pack. A Judge is normally calm and confident in his abilities but can be an enemy you don't want to make. Unlike the Visionary, who's strength is his knowledge of his opponent, the Judge has the knowledge of his opponent and his physical strength behind him. The Judge also acts as a go between during meetings with other Packs. Since wolven are naturally untrusting of one another, especially those of other Packs, the Judge acts as a neutral go between for each Pack to communicate to.

The Judge has an inert ability to see the Truth through the lies. In battle he has his knowledge of the opponent, plus his physical strength and makes a man enemy. During Pack meets, the Judge is a go between, a neutral force that is untainted by lies and misfacts.

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The Wolven Timeline

World War II saw illegal experiments performed on selected soldiers. The viral implant, once settled inside of the host, went about changing the very DNA of the soldier so that he became faster, smarter, stronger, more aware of scents and sounds on the wind. Creating the ultimate weapon - a human capable of superhuman feats - was within grasp. The virus, containing small portions of information about the world’s greatest animal hunters, was designed to aid the host in battle. However, there was a side effect. Being part animal, the hosts found themselves talking to an inner craving, a part of them that was more beast than man. It was only a matter of time before it broke loose.

The first soldier to break was a man codenamed, Lyko, after the wolf gene he held in his symbiot. The wolf drove him to madness before it broke free, breaking out of his skin in front of the scientists disbelieving eyes. Fully Werewolf, Lyko escaped the research facility and stormed the nearest city, reining havoc on the inhabitants. It only took a mere bite, breaking the skin, to pass the virus on. When word got out of the outbreak, the government sent in the FBI to investigate and shut the facility down, exiling all of the scientists and specimens involved. When they found Lyko, he had sunk into the depth of rage and madness, completely lost in the rabid wolf. They shot him on the spot but by then, it was too late to control the outbreak.

The infected found themselves suffering various ailments as the virus inside of them took root. Anything from severe mood swings to raw meat cravings, wild, erratic behaviour to rape and violence. Some grew accustomed to the whispered words of their beasts and embraced the double life, mastering the art of shifting from one form to the other, and taking control over their wilder natures in order to live normal lives during the day and letting the beast have free rein at night. It was the perfect balance.

All was not well. After being exiled, the other hosts began to follow Lyko suit, embracing their darker natures and breaking free. Some earlier experiments went wrong and formed grotesque hybrids with rotting flesh and deformities; others performed more subtle changes to the host’s body. From as little as extended canines and a thirst for blood to keener eyes or sense of smell. Each were jealous of Lyko and his freedom, as they assumed him still alive.

And so the war began, to destroy Lyko's race, which had now firmly set itself in society.

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The Virus

This, altering form, virus was given to selected WW2 soldiers in the hopes of swaying the tides of the war in Germany’s favour. Once contracted the virus sets to work altering the host’s DNA, improving sight, hearing, scent and touch, even speed and strength. The very essence for these were taken from the world top predators and placed into strains of the original virus. However, the virus broke out of control and began to change the host’s base form into that of the animal, creating a hybrid form In between. Some soldiers found a way to control this new side of them and harnessed its power, others fell into disrepute and sank into Feral. Some found neither, but were horrid mutants, with half formed animal parts or just the improved senses and nothing else.

The virus itself can be contracted a number of ways, including the exchange of bodily fluids, mainly blood through a bite that pierces the skin, or by unprotected sex. Other ways may yet exist. What is known about the virus is that a host may not necessarily become a Were, of sorts. Sometimes the virus lay dormant throughout the host’s life and never surfaces, other times it begins its cycle and the host finds themselves battling with another being inside of them. Soon, they must face the beast and either accept it and create a balance, or fall into Feral and be destroyed.



Wolven Born

Births among the infected are very rare, for some reason, it appears the virus cannot sustain itself in a new born babe. Therefore, the womb may reject the babe or, the child will be unable to survive its first year of life. However, there are exceptions to the rule, some babes who are extremely strong of might and will, may survive into adulthood. This is a risky business, having been born to the virus, the beast is much stronger and Virus Born of any kind are extremely unstable creatures, often prone to behaviour disorders or angry natures. It is easier for a Virus Born to sink into Feral, but these children seem to possess extremely strong wills and, appear to co-exist quite happily on the brink between beast and man.

For now, not much is known about children of the virus since it is so rare. Most Wolven parents, or indeed any other parents, count themselves extremely lucky to have a child.

We suppose it is natures way of containing the virus and preventing its inevitable mutation through breeding

[Demeter]

The Pard

The Basics

While leopards are by nature solitary creatures, the human side of the Shifter is a social animal. In moder day society where the Shifter population is having a bit of a boom, after near extinction, finding rather large Pards (groups of were-leopards) isn't unheard of. When you find a Pard of any size though, you will not likely find another one anywhere near.

The reason for this is that though the Pards are currently at peace, they are incredibly territorial. The bigger the Pard, the bigger the Pard's territory. While Pard territories will never overlap, it is rather common for other types of Were-Creatures to have territory in common with the leopards.

Leopard are found most commonly in the Americas with a few Pards scattered across all other continents except Antarctica.

Interaction with Others

With other Leopards:
Strangly, considering their animal half is solitary, leopard Shifters prefer to live in areas with many of their own kind. This doesn't mean that a whole Pard will live in one home, just that most of the members will live within a close proximity of their territory.

Most Pard members will find a mate w/in their own Pard. This helps to further Pard unity in most cases. Occaisionally a human mate will be taken or a member of another Type of Dark One. This is rare but the Pard will honor its member's choices.

Relationships between members of the same pard are like those of any extended family. Most get along but there are some rivalries. With members of two or more different Pards things are often strained until it is clear what all parties intentions are. After that it is warry nonchalance.

With Other Were-Creatures:
Relations between Leopards and other types of Shifters, situations where they interact, are typically friendly.

With Other Dark Ones:
Leopards are typically friendly and rarely have issues with any of the other Dark Ones. Of all the Dark Ones, interactions are most strained with Custoss, the Fallen, and Vampires.

With Humans:
Since Shifters can typically pass as human, very few humans know their true nature. Those few that the leopards choose to know the truth, are regarded as any Pard member would be. Those humans that discover for themselves are treated dependant on how said human uses that information.

With Virus-Created Leopards:
True leopards see the Engineered as lost kittens and most Pards will adopt them no questions asked. That is, all but those who are in danger of going Feral.

The Details

Shifting ~
~The first Shift can be triggered either by the phase of the moon, or increasingly, by being bitten and then exposed to others as they Shift.
~The Shift is not tied strictly to moon phases anymore. It can occur when tempers flare, when around others who are Shifting, or once more experienced, at will.
~Once a person has enough control over their new condition to Shift at will, a second form to Shift into will become available; a hybrid form. It takes even more control than a full shift and so is dangerous and not mentioned to newly Changed.
~Those who’s first Shift is triggered by others Shifting, rather than a moon phase, will adopt the same abilities (or very similar ones) as the one who bit them. This happens because instead of the condition having time to integrate fully into the body and have the Shift triggered by the proper moon phase, it is forced to take what it is given. For example, a Warrior bites somebody and that person becomes a Hunter. Same moon phase as the one who bit them, same sort of abilities. Another example, a Spirit Guide bites somebody and that person becomes a Death Walker. They are technically from different moon phases but they have somewhat similar abilities.

Moon Phases ~
~Waxing Crescent – Scouts/Elementals – Some of the Scouts produced by this phase will also posses Elemental abilities. As Scouts, they are the ones sent out during times of peace to check out new territory or just to make sure a place is safe for their pard members. Those that are also Elementals will have some control over one of the four natural elements: earth, air, fire, or water.
~Waxing Half – Mediators – Just the way the ability sounds, those influenced by this phase are natural born Mediators. In any kind of dispute Mediators will be the ones to try and work things out before Alphas become involved. Unless it is a dispute between different pards, Alpha’s will commonly not even become involved.
~Full – Warriors & Hunters – Two abilities come out of this phase because before the condition started mutating these were the only two. A person would become either a Warrior or a Hunter. Hunters are sent out to hunt, sometimes food, sometimes rivals or threats. Warriors are the protectors of the pard. They are the ones that will attack enemies that the Hunters find or the enemies that find the pard. While Warriors have more innate fighting abilities, Hunters are just as able to hold their own in a fight.
~Waning Half – Seers – Depending on how strong one is in their ability, strength is normally determined by years spent Changed, Seers can catch glimpses of what is coming. Either in the immediate future or years down the road. These glimpses are often in the form of confusing jumbled images that at first make no sense. Experience interpreting the images is integral to being a good Seer for one’s pard.
~Waning Crescent – Spirit Guides – This ability consists of being able to not only speak with spirits of all kinds (including Custoss) but if one is strong enough and persuasive enough, the ability to summon, control, and/or beg favors of those spirits.
~Dark – Scouts/Death Walkers – Scouts produced by this phase are more suited to being stealthy than their WxC counterparts. They are used more for spy work and have a tendency to keep to themselves. They are the least social of the pard, especially those that also posses the Death Walker ability. It is considered a rather useless ability but those who have it know its true value. Death Walkers are capable of seeing and interacting with ghosts whereas most other were-leopards can only sense ‘something’.

Hierarchy ~
~1st - Alpha Pair
~2nd - Mediators (or Seer or Spirit Guide if no Mediator in the pard. Or whichever is senior or more experienced, decided by Alphas)
~3rd Seers/Spirit Guides
~Warriors (2nd in a fight unless Alphas die, then 1st until fighting is over)
~Hunters
~Scouts
~Scout Elementals
~Scout Death Walkers

[Demeter]

The Other Weres

Below is a list of things that vary between the True Were-Creatures of the world and their Virus counterparts.

Size~
~True~ sizes vary but they are typically the same size as the actual creatures they shift into.
~Virus~ almost always larger than natural creatures, this made them more powerful (or so the scientists thought)

First Shift~
~True~ No longer strictly controlled by the moon, over the years, the moon has lost its sway with the natural Were-creatures. The more that society advanced, the less the moon was paid attention to
~Virus~ the First Change will always come with a moon phase for those with the Virus. Unlike the natural Weres they have not had milennia to have that adapt and mutate out of their genetic coding.

Territory~
~True~ Found almost exclusively in the Americas, and Northern Asia with small pockets scattered around the world.
~Virus~ Spreading, in large numbers, throughout the world. Highest concentrations are Europe and western Asia.

[Demeter]

Angels and Custoss

Seven Layers Dante
Layer 1 Limbo (circle 1)
Layer 2 The Lustful and Gluttons (circles 2 & 3)
Layer 3 The Spenders, Hoarders, Wrathful and Sullen (circles 4 & 5)
Layer 4 The Heretics (circle 6)
Layer 5 Violence towards Others, Self, Gods, Nature, Art (circle 7)
Layer 6 The Seducers, Panders, Flatters, Simoniacs, Barrators, Hypocrites,
Thieves, False Counselors, Schematics, Falsifiers (circle 8)
Layer 7 Betrayers of Kin, Country, Party, Guests, and Benefactors (circle 9)


Ranks of Hell: Deities*, Lords/Ladies*, Custoss (layer depends on what that specific Custos does or what layer the Custos is born in. Often a Custos can switch layers if their loyalties change) Fallen Angels (layer depends on what the angel did to fall), and souls.
Ranks of Heaven: Deities*, Lords/Ladies*, Angels (Seraphim**, Cherubim**, Arch Angels, Angels, Grigor (ranking depends on either the type of angel or the angel’s standing with their respective deity)) and souls.

The Fallen are angels that have fallen into disrepute with whichever Deity they look to, consequently being stripped of their heavenly rank and powers. The fallen are those angels which have made pacts with Custoss and the Darker Deities in order to possess power of some kind, however, it is likely to be dark and twisted. A member of this clan has the ability to hide their broken, misshapen, discolored wings from humans, but cannot hide their natures from Custoss, who know them for what they are. The Kindred and Viruses have some degree of awareness, but only a tingling sensation unless the Fallen reveal themselves completely. Though it is extremely rare, an angel that has fallen may reenter their deity’s good graces through doing any deeds that deity has set them to.

Custoss are things of nightmares and of the Darker realms. They have many forms depending upon their allegiance. Each Custos is a member of a sect and looks to a different Deity***, be it a succubus and her Deity of Lust or a Oneri and their Deity of Nightmares. Some Custoss have the ability to disguise themselves as humans for a short length of time but no Custos can stay out of his or her specific layer of hell for long without suffering.

Angels are the creatures of lighter events but do not mistake them for that which is sweet, and innocent. Like the Custoss, the angels are members of sects and look to different deities*** for direction in there lives. Angels, like Custoss again, have the ability to disguise themselves as human but cannot remain away from the layer he or she was born into.

Angels and Custoss can interbreed and the resulting offspring is a hybrid. At the age of 18, the hybrid will go through a test to determine his or her dominate side. After this test, they may still shift between their Custos, human, or angel form but the hybrid is either more Custosic or angelic in manner and personality then before the age of 18. It has been known to happen that a hybrid will either enter her/his test earlier, normally through something traumatic, at an earlier age. Hybrids who are more then Custos and angel may enter their test at a later age. There is one other possibility. The hybrid doesn’t have a dominate side. They are neither angel or Custos. They are a combination of both.

Lords/Ladies of Hell
Layer One: Lady Jerusha (Deity: Whiro)
Layer Two: Lady Senka (Deity: Arawn)
Layer Three: Lord Manena (Deity: Emma-o)
Layer Four: Lord Thyden (Deity: Cizin)
Layer Five: Lord Darius (Deity: Hades)
Layer Six: Lady Meris (Deity: Allatum)
Layer Seven: Lord Marrus (Deity: Aker)

Lords/Ladies of Heaven
Layer One: Lady Zia (Deity: Sol)
Layer Two: Lord Symir (Deity: Walo)
Layer Three: Lord Eshiel (Deity: Ahan-Kin)
Layer Four: Lady Aisling (Deity: Re)
Layer Five: Lord Devas (Deity: Mog Ruith)
Layer Six: Lord Vannon (Deity: Amaterasu)
Layer Seven: Lady Sonali (Deity: Saule

The Lords and Ladies of heaven and hell are angels or Custoss of extreme power. They also act as go-betweens for fallen angels. The fallen will make their pleas, offerings, reasons to the lord or lady of the layer they fell or fell from and that Custos or angel will take the fallen’s story to which ever deity the fallen is seeking to serve.

There are several different areas for Custoss or angels to participate in.
In both heaven and hell there are great houses. These houses often try to take down other houses. Angels and Custoss can become part of these houses if their skills are needed. There are also various titles a Custos or angel can assume. Reapers are commonly those hybrids who are neither angel or Custos dominate. Dragon riders are common in hell but no so much in heaven. They ride the beasts in battle. Only the truly powerful houses have the allegiances of the dragon rider corp. The Custoss or angels who are bound to a sea deity have the chance to become a sea serpent rider, the cousins to the dragon riders. And then there is the Cavalry. These are men and women who are capable of riding the beasts commonly known as Hell Horses.

One more feature of hell; the gateways. These are passages, continuously guarded, between layers, between hell and earth, earth and heaven, heaven and hell. They are liberally scattered in all three realms.

* For the purposes of this board, deities and the lords and lady are non-player characters. They may be nominally involved in a thread but they may not have a profile and be an active character. Marrus and Darius already have players as they were created before this board was even conceived. If you’d like to involve Darius, contact Demeter. If you’d like to involve Marrus contact Shinigami.
** For the purposes of this board, and as these are higher up characters, please create them sparingly.
*** For examples of this, look to the character profiles for angels or Custoss that have already been posted.

[Demeter]

Vampires

The Myths:

Now, since there are so many different takes on vampires, I wanted to let you in on what these vampires can and can't do.

The typical: These vampires are not harmed by holy water, crosses, or silver (yes, that's a vampire myth, too). Since they are actually -alive- they aren't plagued by all that cleansing of the undead stuff. They have heartbeats, are warm to the touch like any other living thing, and they can walk in sunlight.

Now, about the sunlight issue. Yes, they can walk in sunlight, but with over expossure it is very irritating to the skin. Vampires have very sensitive skin and eyes when it comes to sunlight, so they would need to be covered, wear heavier sunscreen, and/or wear sunglasses.

Vampires -do-, however, need blood to sustain themselves. They don't need to drinka s often as one might think, and they are about to take enough blood from a human (or animal if they prefer) to last them a while and not kill the human in the process. They've adapted to this way of hunting to keep humans from prooving their existance, and ultimately hunting them down.

Since the vampires are alive, they need other nutrients to stay healthy (makes sense, no?) so they also have to eat normal human foods. This also helps with their attempt to blend in, but they don't have to eat as much as often due to blood intake.

These vampires can be hurt (if you can get close enough). They bleed, like any living thing, though they heal fast. More serious wounds will obviously take longer to heal, and if there is too much bloodloss before healing begins (or if their decapitated and all that) they will die. There is no use for a stake, because any weapon will do, but weapons infused with magic will have a greater impact, and usually can burn the skin of a vampire along with the other wounds it deals.

The Creatures Themselves

These vampires have been around longer than humans (so you can make them whatever age, just be mindfull of the council members) and have a set way of keeping track of their bloodlines and ruling over their own. There are 7 bloodlines in all, and in each bloodline there is a male and a female council member choosen to run it. Once their choosen, they stay in their possition until they die, which does not happen naturally.

Each bloodline has an innate power accociated with it that has been learned and incorperated into their genetics since long before the written word. These are passed down to vampires born within the bloodlines or turned. Though turning is rare, for the very fact that they are able to marry and bare children, it happens, especially amoung wayward vampires. These vampires have the ability to walk in the sunlight, but their skin is easily damaged, so most use sunscreen, or keep covered under clothing. Most also wear sunglasses as the light can be irritating to the eyes. Most vampires rectify this by simply becoming nocternal.

Below the 7 bloodlines, their innate powers, and their council members are listed from the most powerfull to the least powerfull:

Moriba (more-eh-bah)
Power - Telekinesis/Mind
Council - Echo and Jacob

Keahi (key-ah-hi)
Power - Fire
Council - Makayla and Bryce

Asnee (as-nay)
Power - Electricity/lightning
Council - Ambrose and Trevor

Sadira (sah-dee-rah)
Power - Water
Council - Ariana and Cole

Aran (ah-rain)
Power - Earth
Council - Zoe and Gabriel

Anila (ah-nee-lah)
Power - Wind
Council - Kiana and Hunter

Kasi (kah-see)
Power - Divinity/psychic
Council - Daray and Slade

If you wish to RP as one of the council members I (Shinigami) require that you have at least one other character already well established. This is so I have a referance to your RP skill. I ask you not make a council member your character until going through me. These characters need to be done by well trusted members to keep the interest of all the bloodlines up.